


Only just!

by fangirl2013



Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: Death, F/M, Guilt, Hospital, friends - Freeform, wife - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-06
Updated: 2014-08-06
Packaged: 2018-02-12 01:26:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2090586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl2013/pseuds/fangirl2013
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard is surprised by just how sick his wife appears. It makes him realise just how much she means to him and what it'd mean for him to lose her!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only just!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this is alright.

He hadn’t prepared himself for the sight that was in front of him. Although, Richard had visited Anne the day before, he was still surprised by the sight of her. With a white cotton nightdress on her petite body, she looked even frailer than she had the day before. With almost a smile on his face, Richard noticed that she looked comfortable; her pillow looked as if it had been recently plumped and her head was laying comfortably on it. 

At the sight of his wife, he felt his heart clench painfully. Even more so once he’d sat beside the sleeping figure and begun to grasp her small bony hand, tightly.

He could feel Anne’s wedding band beneath his hand and at the feel of it; he couldn’t help but move his hand away and turn his gaze immediately to it. 

Although the ring was simple, it was also beautiful as well as the small diamond stones in the centre seemed to glint in the sunshine flooding thee hospital room with light. A lump rose in Richard’s throat at the sight of it as he was bombarded with ancient memories. The sight of his wife’s delighted and beautiful face instantly came to his mind. As he had given it to her, she had looked completely content as if he had given her the world, rather than just a ring. 

Anne’s shallow, pained breaths were the only sounds filling the room now and at the sound; it brought her husband’s concerned back to her face. 

For what would have been an hour or so, he simply gazed at the woman he could no longer recognise and it was only at the sound of footsteps did he turn his attention to the visitor.

The sheepish expression gracing Robert Brackenbury’s face didn’t escape his friend as he entered the room. At the sight of him, Richard couldn’t help but look a little surprised. He hadn’t been aware of his friend’s visit to his wife and by the sheepish expression on Robert’s face; he obviously didn’t expect to see him either. 

For a few seconds, Robert merely hovered at the foot of Anne’s bed. His actions told Richard he was nervous about being there and he couldn’t help but wonder why. 

“How is she doing today?” The concern in his question was clear and for a few moments, Richard felt slightly guilty for noticing just how close his friend and his wife had become.

How many other things had he missed? Did he know his wife that well anymore? He knew the questions would bother him all night and it took all of Richard’s willpower to stop thinking of them and to answer Robert’s question. 

“She’s….. a little better.” Richard’s voice broke slightly at the lie but he couldn’t admit to him or even to himself just how ill his wife was. 

The thought of losing Anne made him feel sick to his stomach. He had realised that throughout his life, her love had been constant and the love she’d bestowed on him had given him confidence not only in business but also himself. He knew he owed his lovely, kind wife everything and the desire to make her understand just how she means to him seems at times almost overwhelming. 

At his lie, Robert looked at him knowingly. There was sympathy and sadness in how he was looking at him and at the intensity of it; he quickly looked away from him.  
Sadness was one thing but sympathy was something he couldn’t handle at that moment. He couldn’t help but feel as if he didn’t deserve his sympathy. 

He’d left the love of his life down when she had needed him most. What kind of man does that? A good, honourable man worthy of sympathy? He couldn’t help but think not!

As Robert sat on a plastic seat on the side of the room, he could feel his eyes on him. They seemed to bore into him and the silence that followed seemed almost torturous to them both. Whilst apart of Richard wanted nothing more than for Robert to make him feel less guilty, he knew he’d put his work before his wife. 

It appeared that Robert knew what Richard was thinking as a thoughtful expression was on his face. 

“She knew you loved her, you know. Even when you didn’t come at night or you totally forgot your anniversary. She still believed that you loved her…“He told Richard, his gaze fixed on Anne. 

At his friend’s words, he couldn’t help but look a little disbelieving at him. Had she truly believed that? Despite how badly he’d acted towards her? It seemed unbelievable.

“How do you know?” He asked him, his disbelief obvious. 

Richard watched his friend turn to look at him and the honesty in his eyes seemed to stand out to him. It was then that all disbelief seemed to vanish and his gaze returned to his sleeping wife. Her pained breaths continued and despite the guttural sound of them, he was almost thankful for them. They meant she was still alive. But only just!

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you think, I'd appreciate it.


End file.
